Information translation communication protocol

Abstract

An inventive procurement system includes a requisition system for special item purchases that are not found when searching a catalog database. Using the requisition system the buyer is provided with the desired item while the information associated with the requisition is selectively added to a rule-based knowledge base as well as to an item database. In a preferred embodiment a common language generator has been used to normalize free form data using pre-determined rules to place the data into a class / attribute / value relationship. By having the item requisition follow the same relationship, the pre-determined rules may be updated and the free-form data associated with the item properly coded for inclusion into an item database.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates in general to a procurement system. More specifically, the invention relates to a procurement system where a user completes a structured requisition form based predominantly on pre-existing normalized relationships to order an item not available in a catalog database. The form is used to specify the desired item and to selectively create updated normalized relationships for use in identifying the new item so that it and similar items may be placed in the catalog database when free form data is examined using the normalized relationships.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]Procurement systems are well known. A buyer searches a catalog or a catalog database, locates material of interest, and places an order. A supplier then fulfills the order. However, special orders greatly complicate and slow down the entire procurement process as well as greatly increasing procurement expense. In practice, a buyer who cannot find an item locate...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0008]A key advantage of the present invention is that both the catalog database as well as the special requisition are normalized using predetermined rules related to class, attribute, and value relationships that are already knows to the back office, and must be followed by the buyer to create the special requisition. Generally, these rules are stored in a knowledge base. When the back office receives free form item data, the free form data is processed through the knowledge base to create the normalized database that a user searches. The rules used to create the normalized database are made available to the buyer to locate a specific item.

[0009]Thus, when making a special requisition for an item not in the database, the buyer first identifies the item using all available class, attribute, and value relationships used to create the normalized database. The remaining class, attribute and value relationship information required to uniquely identify the desired special item are then suggested by the buyer and forwarded to the back office.

[0010]The back office uses the pre-existing information identified by the buyer to pre-select potential suppliers that are already associated with the selected classes, attributes, and values and automatically forwards the special requisition to them. Thus, no human intervention is required.

[0011]One or more of the suppliers review and revise the special requisition using the same relationship approach as followed by the buyer and dictated by the pre-existing rules of the knowledge base and then returns it to the back office. Thus, at least two experts (i.e., the buyer and the supplier) have proposed a revised normalization relationship to uniquely identify a desired item in accordance with the pre-determined rules. The revised normalization relationship may be used to create a new rule for the knowledge base to process future items with no further human intervention.

[0012]Moreover, by having a normalized item selection process, the desired item and related items may be readily added to a catalog database for future selection by other buyers. Such an approach takes advantage of the expertise of the buyer and supplier in fulfilling a special requisition while eliminating the need to undertake the same process for other buyers. The catalog database is automatically updated as required over time, generating catalog database updating in a real time fashion.

[0013]Yet another advantage of having a normalized approach to the special requisition process is to permit easy item comparison by a buyer. When more than one potential supplier of a desired item is located, having the item information in a normalized fashion according to class, variable and value relationships provides easy comparison of the various items by the buyer. Thus, comparison-shopping is expedited to the benefit of all parties since fewer returns are likely when the item criteria are clearly understood.

Problems solved by technology

However, special orders greatly complicate and slow down the entire procurement process as well as greatly increasing procurement expense.

However, no order is even placed until a potential supplier and related cost and delivery information is provided to the buyer for consideration.

Worse yet, when the special order is finally fulfilled, all of the special effort that went into manually reviewing the requisition, manually determining potential suppliers, manually locating the best suppliers, and then actually fulfilling the special order is lost.

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